White Cube is pleased to present the first UK solo exhibition by Magnus Plessen. Known for his paintings that oscillate between abstraction and figuration, Plessen's new body of work focuses on rotation as the means of re-ordering the relation of the viewer to the painting.
These new paintings simultaneously feature figurative elements that are ostensibly recognisable – hands, heads, feet – combined with abstract passages that serve to re-structure order and dimensionality within the painting, creating a palpable sense of disorientation. This effect is reinforced by a deliberate illogicality; representational aspects of body parts are fragmented and disembodied, elusive and transitory, unbound by any particular viewpoint or frame of reference. This is combined with added or subtracted sections of paint to imply spatial depth within the image, such as curved bands, which suggest dynamic rotation or movement. As Plessen notes, 'For me, the key to understanding inner and outer space in painting is the space of the revolving door; at its centre there is no one looking back at you. The line between inside and outside is indifferent to appearances. Representation in abstraction… All things present without being recognised'.
14 September – 10 November 2012 Mason's Yard
25 – 26 Mason's Yard London SW1Y 6BU Tel +44 (0) 207 930 5373
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 6pm